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McNealy Answers: No Open Source Java

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the laid-to-rest dept.

comforteagle writes "Sun CEO Scott McNealy has finally answered the long awaited question that has been on the minds of open source and Java developers. Will Sun open source Java? No. He stated today that Sun sees no solution solved from open sourcing Java that isn't already addressed."

5 of 761 comments (clear)

  1. as a java developer... by blackware · · Score: 0, Redundant

    i am sorley dissapointed.

  2. Re:How can we fracture it? by tacocat · · Score: 0, Redundant

    no it's not. It's got a crappy Memory management engine and is poorly implimented on several Unix platforms.

    If it were Open Source, then you would have the ability to make Java actually work consistently on any platform available.

    One of the Architecture guys where I work was telling me that because of Suns lack of support for other OS platforms (IBM, HP), and their failure to make some core improvements to the JVM, that Java was not going to survive as long as the likes of C, C++, Perl and in another decade people will be migrating off of it.

  3. Go MONO by anandpur · · Score: 0, Redundant

    We are left with no other option go with.NET

  4. Re:How can we fracture it? by cheesybagel · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Java will never succeed with Sun holding an iron grip over it. IBM, currently Java's biggest supporter outside Sun, has already stated so. The Linux vendors have said so. The simple fact is that computer languages need to be vendor neutral to be a long running, wide ranging success.

    Sun wants control. I say let them have control over their crappy language. May they keep it all to themselves, while we go on using something else. Something better. No, not .NET. That is more of the same. The OSS community has proved they are able to create better languages and development environments than Microsoft or Sun. We should instead make our own community driven language neutral VM, for example Parrot, establish our own standard high-level language, for example Python.

    Who needs a half-assed effort, riddled with vendor lock-in?

  5. Re:How can we fracture it? by nikster · · Score: 0, Redundant

    (vi) you agree to defend and indemnify Sun and its licensors from and against any damages, costs, liabilities, settlement amounts and/or expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with any claim, lawsuit or action by any third party that arises or results from the use or distribution of any and all Programs and/or Software.

    sounds like standard fare in the world of free software to me.

    you get some software for free. you can distribute it, use it, whatever. but you cannot turn around and sue the owner of the software if something goes wrong. i have never seen a piece of free software that doesn't have such a clause.

    Sun's phrasing might be a litte harsh since it seems to imply that you have to take over legal costs - but an easy way to defend and indemnify Sun in this case would be to include a license that says, in legalese, "neither Sun nor ourselves is responsible for any problems with this software. if your house burns down and your wife leaves you because of Java, you cannot sue us or Sun".